September at Sunshine Bible Academy

We love being in South Dakota in August and September because it the time when the students return and school swings into action.  Most of the students who have been here before are really excited about returning but the first time, especially the foreign students, are a bit hesitant about the whole "school on the prairie" thing.  But there is always a lot of things to keep us busy as school begins.

Of course there is a lot of grass on the school ground but the new mower really helps with it's suspension ride and a cup holder.

It was decided that there should be a real outlet for the sump pump out behind the kitchen rather than running an extension cord through the kitchen window, especially when it is -40 F outside.

The new faucet for the ladies restroom came in and needed to be installed---

---and that pesky door closer behind the kitchen is going to get fixed this time for sure.

The beginning of school also means the beginning of girls volleyball.  Here we are at the first game to support the Crusaders.

The new event center is a marvelous building but there isn't sufficient room to store the racks of folding chairs and the new risers.  Answer, buy a shipping container, park it out back and run a sidewalk to it.

Of course if one lays out forms the next thing that comes is the 8 yards of concrete---

 

---and it comes---

 

---and it comes.  This is really hard work.  Sure glad we have a great crew of teen age boys to muck around in the mud.  I don't think my old legs would take it well.

 

One project which always seems to be there is recovering text books.  But Billie is more than capable of making the best of it.

Unfortunately, the new gym floor has moisture trapped beneath it.  The solution, drill holes in the aluminum edge strips to let it breathe.  I sure pray that this works as the floor will continue to buckle if the moisture is not removed.

During September we took a weekend to travel to Norfolk, Nebraska to a wedding of a wonderful couple we had met at Camp Barnabas. This great couple, and their lovely daughter, are the ones that are in permanent residence at Barnabas.

Here is the wonderful bride and groom!

One of the meaningful and lovely traditions which the grandpa and grandma of the groom have started is a toast from a special cup.  Grandpa takes his turn---

---then it turn for the new bride and groom.

 

During the setup for the wedding the bride and groom discuss the decorating of the "door" backdrop they were using (and the main reason we were there as we supplied the doors) as the background for their wedding ceremony.

Didn't it just turn out beautiful.  God is so good.

The groomsmen---

---and the bride's maids were so beautiful---

---and this talented young man provided all of the music for the wedding.  Great day!

 

On our way home we Gavin's Point Reservoir, one of several on the Missouri River. 

On a beautiful evening just before we left SBA there was a wonderful light show in the northern sky.  Unfortunately is didn't supply Hand county with any rain---

---but it was another wonderful display of God's great power.

Presently we are again sitting at the farm in Kansas.  We have a bit more work to have done on our home and the farm can use a bit more sprucing up.  God bless.

 

AH! August in South Dakota

We have finished another project month here at Sunshine Bible Academy and boy did we get some things done.  We had a great crew here and we are thankful we didn't have any serious injuries with the work we had to do.

                                    

Here we have the August crew, ready to go to work.



We have some more work to finish the painting on the bleachers---

 

---and the crew dug in to complete them in the cool and wet morning.

 

Then the ladies moved into the wood shop to finish up some painting.

 

See this steel Behlen building.  Between the bolts is 41 inches and the window is 48 inches wide so we must take out two sections of steel wall (plus the sheet rock wall inside) in order to add a 48 inch window.

 

And here it is. 

 

Then there is the repair of the sheet rock in the inside---

 

---and the finishing touch by the ladies.

AAAAHHHH!  Sower break time a time to regroup and have a snack and cup of coffee or tea.

There are a few ceiling tiles in the boys dorm that need to be replaced.

 

 

The concrete is poured and the guys have put the new benches together.  The dirt pile is the 4th of 11 semi loads needed to level the sight.

Time to stand the new poles.  The two outside poles are 30 feet tall and the center one will be 35 feet tall.

In the middle of it all, Billie has the opportunity to meet her friend Dee for lunch in Redfield.

Well, the blue mower is out of commission and now this one has blown a belt.  It has to be fixed or we will be faced with mowing 30 acres with a 21 inch push mower.

Since the old music room is becoming the art room, the music awards need to be moved to the hallway outside the new music room.

With the painting done the ladies can concentrate on preparing vegetables for the students.

The poles are up, the flags have been raised and the 11 loads of dirt have been leveled.

 

The view of the front of the school is great with the new flag poles in place.

 

Night time brings on the lights which were installed on top of the poles.  They are powered by solar cells and batteries. 

With that all done we bid you a good night with this spectacular moon shot.

God bless you all.

 

 

 

This has been a long two and a half months!

It has been a very long time since we have posted any updates for you.  We were not sitting on our hands or snoozing, we have been running.  To begin the tale we were sitting in our home at Camp Barnabas one evening when the lightning struck near enough that we heard it and saw it at exactly the same time.  You know your too close when that happens.  We lost our satellite receiver and radio.  That is the first things we noticed.  A few days later we pulled up the anchor and headed to the farm in Kansas and when I turned on the ignition the backup lights and backup camera came on while we were still in park.  We were able to drive it away but there were things which weren't right.

We got to the farm and parked as the power went out at the farm.  No problem, just start the generator.  HaHa.  It would not run.  Add that to the list.  Oh well, no time to check anything now as we must make a quick trip to Denver for our grandson's high school graduation.  So off we went. 

Here are the grand children.  Not really very "children" any more.  The one in the center is the graduate.

 

This is the whole family.  We were having  picnic at a park prior to the  graduation activity.

 

The school is a virtual school and is done on line.  This four students were the first group to begin and complete the K12 schooling in Colorado.

 

 

 

Little sister and grandma are putting up decorations for the graduation party.  All went well and the party lasted much longer than Grandma and Grandpa did.  then we took off for the farm.

 

There was a lot of honey-doo things to be done but first we had to find a place which could work on our home.  We finally found an open spot at the Camping World in Columbia, MO.  We delivered it there and went back to the farm praying it would be done before the beginning of our July scheduled project. 

The winds on the knob (the affectionate name for the hill the farm house stands on) they get pretty bad and it is up higher than most things around so there is nothing to stop it.  Over the years the wind had removed a great many pieces of the soffit and fascia.  The ladder I am standing on is 40 feet long and it is one wrung from being fully extended.

We also cleaned and "landscaped" the front of the house.

Then July came around and so did the fireworks.  This excited crew is my (Bob's) big sister and my brothers daughter and children.

Of course the "kids" had to make a lot of noise.

We also was blessed to watch this beautiful Orchard Oriel. 

Just below the two walnuts you cam just see a part of his nest.  I guess the walnuts look enough like fruit to warrant a nest.

 

We were finally able to pick up the motor home after they replaced the satellite receiver, the CD player, the radio, the back up camera and repaired the transmission, the generator and the anti lock brake system.

We finally got to Sunshine Bible Academy in Miller, SD.  We were nearly two weeks late but we got there.  On the way we found that the lights to the tow vehicle (the pickup) did not work and the cooling fans for the refrigerator were not working.  Also, the bedroom vent fan and the TV in the bedroom do not work.  Oh well.  If there were not bumps in the road, how will we ever build character?  The other couple in the photo were already at SBA working and we gladly joined them.

 

It cooled off shortly after we got here and Billie had to wear a jacket to paint the bleachers.  She is up high....

 

... and Candi is painting down low.

 

Meanwhile Don and myself installed a door between the art room and the storage room---

 

---and assembled six sets of risers and carts to carry some of the equipment around.

By the end of the project we were ready to sit a spell.